ecorder from the Ground Up is a kid-friendly curriculum for learning
the recorder by ear, whether in private lessons or school
classrooms. It uses appealing melodies and harmonies from the
Renaissance and Baroque eras, the time when the recorder particularly
flourished. It takes a modular approach with many of the pieces, so
that different versions can be combined as students learn more
options. This repertoire naturally creates opportunities for students
to harmonize with each other from the beginning. The additive approach
also allows them to begin discovering ornamentation and improvisation,
some of the most rewarding skills of historical performance.
Playing Historical Repertoire
The repertoire in this book is rooted in the Renaissance and Baroque eras, and the pieces are carefully selected and arranged to appeal to young people. Simplified arrangements embed kids in the rich melodic and harmonic soundscape of this repertoire from the very beginning.
Recordings
Three playlists accompany this book:
- A listening album with performance arrangements of the pieces
- Short demonstration tracks to help students learn individual versions of pieces
- Accompaniment-only tracks for students to play along with
A Spiral Approach
Most of the tunes and patterns in this book recur in different versions. Some pieces return with additional melodies that can be played simultaneously as an ensemble arrangement. Many melodies are brought back in a new key as a way to introduce more notes.